I’ve always believed that as Democrats, we are strongest when we stand together with one voice and say: Yes, we are Democrats, and we are damn proud to be the party of working families and the middle class, and we’re not going to sell out the people who need us most for the people who have the most.
As you know by now, I’m running in Maryland’s 6th Congressional District’s Democratic Primary Election. The election is this Tuesday, April 3rd. As Democrats, we have an opportunity to get up, stand together, and send a message to the nation that the Democratic Party we grew up to know and love – the Party that fights for the right of workers to assemble and organize; the Party that champions equality and civil rights; the Party that knows everybody deserves a good job with a fair wage – is here to stay for the long haul.
This Primary Election is a test. It’s a test of whether our Party is going to stand on our progressive values, or we’re going to fall into the Republican trap of being forced to play on their turf. We win elections because we know that our cause is great, not our resources. We shouldn’t run from what we believe in. We can create good paying jobs, protect our environment, and respect the right of workers to organize without being pitted against each other. We can reduce the deficit without having to make seniors pay more for less. And we can fight for middle class and working families without being made out to be agitators of “class warfare”.
The people of the 6th District know this. It’s why our campaign has the support of every union, including the AFL-CIO, SEIU, UFCW, our teachers, firefighters, and police officers. It’s why the Sierra Club and the League of Conservation voters have united behind our campaign, and Casa in Action and the Hispanic Chamber of Commerce – Montgomery County. It’s why every Democratic organization that has gotten involved in this race has united behind our grassroots, people powered campaign.
As a Maryland State Senator, I’ve fought for the progressive values that make our Party so great. I’ve never backed down from a tough fight. As a legislator, I don’t simply vote for Democratic causes, I champion them. Fighting for good jobs with fair wages, collective bargaining rights, marriage equality, clean energy, Maryland’s version of the DREAM Act, and an end to discrimination in the workplace – these are things I’ve been on the front lines for. You can bet I’ll do the same in Congress.
The Democratic values that you and I share are the brushstrokes that come together to form the portrait of the American Dream. And together, we have to defend that vision. No child grows up thinking how he or she can manipulate the tax code; strip the right of workers to organize; or outsource jobs overseas to save a few bucks.
As the Democratic Party, we’ve been fighting for this vision for decades, but the bucket of our blood, sweat and tears is not yet full. We still have more work to do. So I ask that you join me on Tuesday, April 3rd to show that as Democrats, we are united in standing in solidarity behind our progressive Democratic values and that together, we can renew the American Dream for the hundreds of millions of Americans looking to make it a reality.
